An Intriguing Idea
by GypsyxBells
Summary: “P-pai-san? What on Earth are you doing… on Earth? In my backyard?” -- Two years after the aliens leave Earth, Pai appears in Lettuce's backyard and presents her with a rather intriguing idea. Fluffy; and a belated birthday present for True Colours. :3


Lettuce checked the time on her phone. It was 4:37. And… late again. The green-haired girl sighed. She didn't remember when she'd gotten into the habit of being tardy, but it bothered her enough to wonder about it from time to time. She wondered sometimes why they had all kept working at the café, too. No one had told them to keep coming in for shifts, but they all kept showing up anyway. She supposed that since the café was their only link to each other in the absence of kirema animas to obliterate and aliens hell-bent on destroying the world to defeat, she and the other Mews felt a kind of connection to it. And the job was a source of income, at the very least.

She shrugged her coat off hurriedly as the slipped through the back door of the café, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the gloom of indoors. Having worked there for more than three years, she'd become adept at exiting and entering; she rarely ever tripped on her way in for her shifts anymore. Unfortunately, today wasn't one of those times. Her toe caught on a loose tile and she went sprawling across the dimly lit hall with a loud 'oof', attracting the attention of the blue-haired girl who had just exited the change room farther down the passageway. Mint Aizawa rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

"Being late isn't much like you Retasu, but _that,_" she gestured in Lettuce's general direction, "is."

Lettuce felt her face flush as she got up and dusted herself off. "I'm not having the best day, Minto-san."

"Hm. You'd better hurry up and get changed then; Shirogane's on a rampage." Mint shot her an amused glance before turning and heading down the hall. "He's already made Ichigo throw a fit," she called over her shoulder, "and none of us have been here more than five minutes."

Lettuce gulped nervously and made her way quickly into the change room, storing her belongings in her locker and slipping into her uniform in record time. She stopped in front of the mirror for a moment before heading back into the hall however, adjusting her headpiece and smoothing her skirt nervously.

Acting normal around Ryou had always been difficult; he was intimidating, confident, intelligent and decidedly attractive. Lettuce had known she'd had a sort of crush on him for the longest time. Her feelings had never really evolved into more than a crush though, due to her shyness, which was the source of most of her awkwardness; she didn't really know how she should behave around him.

With a sigh Lettuce turned from the mirror and out of the change room, entering the eating area of the café as inconspicuously as she could. The bright lights, good smells and all around cheerful atmosphere lifted her mood considerably.

Lettuce hurried across the eating area to the utility closet to grab a broom, weaving around tables and patrons as she went and praying no one other than Mint had noticed she'd come in late. She looked over her shoulder nervously as she opened the closet door and retrieved the broom, noting with cautious relief that she couldn't spot Ryou anywhere.

"Retasu-onee-chan is _late_, na no da!" A pair of small arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug from behind. Lettuce shrieked and dropped the broom, whirling around to face Pudding as it clattered to the floor.

"P-purin-chan! Don't scare me like that." Her cheeks flushed once again as she bent to pick up the broom, trying to simultaneously usher the giggling monkey-girl out of her way and keep her from alerting the whole café to her tardiness.

"Ryou-onii-chan will be very angry, na no da." Pudding sang. As if to prove her point, Ryou's voice rang out angrily from the kitchen in the next moment; he was presumably telling Ichigo off yet again. Lettuce sighed somewhat nervously and pushed Pudding along gently in front of her, watching the younger girl bounce along happily with a mixture of fondness and annoyance.

"Why don't you go greet those people over there, Purin-chan?" Lettuce suggested. "They look like they could use some cheering up." Purin nodded eagerly and bounded away toward the unsuspecting customers, producing her balancing ball and spinning plates seemingly out of nowhere as she went.

Lettuce sighed in relief, brushing her hair out of her eyes and heading over to a particularly messy table to begin sweeping. She forced herself to concentrate only on the task of moving the broom back and forth, relishing in the simple and repetitive motion. She let her mind wander as she swept, becoming so focused that she didn't notice the dessert-laden handcart she was backing up toward until it was too late. With a loud crash she was on her back on the floor, blinking dazedly through the cakes, pies, ice creams and puddings that were now plastered across her face.

Lettuce cringed internally as the café grew quiet, the lighthearted chatter dying into silence as plates and spoons slowly stopped rattling on the floor around her. She sat up as quickly as the many pounds of confectionary now clinging to her uniform would allow, wiping icing from her eyes with self-conscious clumsiness and trying to ignore the dozens of pairs of eyes she could now feel focused on her.

"Midorikawa-san. You're still clumsy as ever." Lettuce jumped up with a strangled squeak and turned to face whoever it was that had spoken. The blood from her seemingly perpetual blush drained from her face as she took in Ryou Shirogane standing before her, his face murderous. She hadn't noticed him come up behind her and was now wishing she could have remained oblivious. There was a quiet fire sparking in his ice blue eyes, one that made her want to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction for more than one reason.

"S-Shirogane-san! I'm sorry, I'm sorry; I'll clean it up right away." She could feel her cheeks growing warm again as he stared her down enigmatically; she began to fiddle with one of the ribbons on her skirt as she waited for him to speak.

"I think it would be better if you just went home for today." His voice was surprisingly gentle; not at all what she had expected considering his expression, which was still rather angry-looking. She paused in surprise before nodding quickly, ducking her head and turning away from him to make her way through the mess of pastry strewn across the floor. The silence was broken as conversations were struck up again, the cheerful ambience seeming to wash over and erase some of the embarrassment of the situation.

As Lettuce made her way toward the back hallway she received a sympathetic look from Ichigo, who had just exited the kitchen with a dessert tray in one hand. Her brown eyes widened as she took in Lettuce's frosting-covered uniform. "Ryou's being such a jerk today, ne Retasu-chan? Did he yell at you much? You… you have a raspberry in your hair…" She reached over and plucked the bright red fruit from the top of Lettuce's head, examining it briefly before holding it out; Lettuce reached out and took it dazedly.

Ichigo giggled as Lettuce stared at the whipped cream-covered berry. "Don't worry about Ryou, Retasu-chan. Who cares what a jerk like him says anyway?" She paused. "Well, this tray is kinda heavy, so I should probabl-"

"Get over here, Strawberry!" Ryou's voice rang out suddenly from across the café; both girls jumped at this, and Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "I suppose he wants me to go and clea-"

"NOW, Ichigo." Ichigo threw her free hand into the air in exasperation, giving Lettuce a 'don't-worry-I-don't-blame-you' look before stalking off toward where Ryou was standing. Lettuce could hear the sounds of the two of them beginning to bicker fading away behind her as she reached the hallway. She shut her eyes in embarrassment and hurried onward, feeling her way down the hall and into the change room. Unsure of what to do with the raspberry, Lettuce cast about for a garbage pail, hesitantly popping the fruit into her mouth when she failed to find one. Feeling immensely thankful for the shower room Keiichiro had included in the design of the café, she took off her glasses, placing them on a bench, and grabbed a towel from the pile by the door. Removing her shoes and pastry-covered uniform, she dropped them into the change room laundry basket as she made her way over to the showers. Taking care not to slide on the tiled floor, she slipped into one of the showers and turned the water on full blast, unbraiding her hair with the tips of her fingers and shaking it out under the warm spray. _Well, I smell nice at least, _she thought wryly as the scent of cake and frosting wafted through the steam-filled air. She washed the pastry from her hair and skin hurriedly but meticulously. Briefly relishing the fact that her toes and fingers were no longer sticking together, she tried not to let her mind wander or think about the way Ryou's eyes had sparked when they'd locked onto hers.

"He doesn't like you, Retasu, that's impossible," she muttered under her breath, glad that the sound of rushing water prevented her from hearing her own voice. She didn't want to think about it, but it was becoming increasingly evident that Ryou had feelings for her. Even just thinking it made her feel selfish and presumptuous, especially since she had no idea whether this was what she wanted or not. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't think of any other reason for his behaviour as of late. He smiled at her and talked to her more than the other Mews, constantly gave her time off, found reasons to call her at her house. And just now; he'd treated her kindly even though she'd messed up so thoroughly and he was clearly in a terrible mood. "Or maybe he was just trying to get rid of me for a while," she whispered bitterly to herself. Regardless, he was interested in her in one way or another; the very thought of it made her cheeks flush. Turning off the water she slipped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around herself tightly, grabbing a second to wrap her hair in before reentering the change room.

She changed back into her street clothes quickly, toweling off her hair and re-braiding it in front of the floor length mirror. Her practiced fingers wove her long green locks into tight plaits quickly. Grabbing the rest of her things from her locker and stuffing them into her bag, she hurried out into the hall, eager to be gone from the café. The wind blew her still-damp braids out behind her as she stepped outside, making her shiver. Lettuce sighed, wishing all of a sudden that she'd brought her bicycle with her; the long walk would give her too much time to think.

It wasn't as if Ryou wouldn't be a wonderful boyfriend – her cheeks flushed uncomfortably as she thought of the two of them together – but she couldn't persuade herself to think of him as more than 'the guy she had a crush on'. What was wrong with her? A few years ago, when she'd first developed feelings for him, she would have been beside herself if she'd thought he was starting to feel the same way. But something was different now; she couldn't put her finger on it.

Lettuce's feet carried her around corners and down side streets as she mused, bringing her into her neighbourhood more quickly than she'd anticipated. She turned onto the lane that ran behind her house, coming up to the thick hedge that separated her yard from the road and praying that no one was home; she didn't feel like pretending to be cheerful in front of her family today. She grabbed the latch of the gate with a sigh, pulling back on the handle and causing it to swing open with a creaking whine. Lettuce passed through the archway in the hedge, the smell of roses greeting her as she stepped into the garden. Closing the gate behind her she started briskly across the grass, looked up, and promptly stumbled to a halt.

Lettuce blinked. By all rights she shouldn't be seeing what she was, but the tall, handsome man standing before her was without a doubt, fully and entirely _there_. Her first instinct was to reach automatically for her power pendant, before realizing she had not carried it in her pocket as a habit in years. Her second instinct was to blush furiously and begin fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Her third instinct was to realize fully who she was looking at and begin to back away.

"Retasu, wait." She blinked again. Even after all this time, his smooth-as-honey voice still sent shivers down her spine. Remembering that they were no longer enemies she stopped backing away and met his eyes nervously.

"P-pai-san? What on Earth are you doing… on Earth? In my backyard?" She supposed she shouldn't be entirely surprised to see him; the aliens had kept up a fairly regular correspondence with the Mews since their departure two years prior. But the sight of him standing so nonchalantly beside her rose bushes was shocking, and more than a little intimidating.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, Retasu. I do apologize for appearing so suddenly and without warning…" He trailed off, looking uncomfortable. Lettuce wasn't used to seeing him like this; he had always been so emotionally guarded when she'd seen him on the battlefield. They faced each other from across the garden awkwardly.

"Does… does my family know you're here?" Lettuce asked, suddenly remembering that the presence of a tall, mysterious, pointy-eared alien in the backyard might be a cause for suspicion. The hedge and high fences surrounding the garden would shield them from the prying eyes of neighbours, but anyone inside the house would be able to see them.

"No, don't worry. Your house is empty." Seeing Lettuce's questioning look Pai rushed to clarify, cheeks flushing uncharacteristically. "I didn't go inside. I can hear that there is no one there." He gestured to his ears.

"Oh, right." Lettuce smiled awkwardly and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Well, would you like to sit down?" She motioned to her right to a wrought-iron bench that sat shaded from the sun by the branches of a blossoming sakura tree just in front of the garden fence. "And then you can tell me why you're here?" Pai glanced at the bench, then back to Lettuce, and nodded. Lettuce fought to keep her cheeks from flushing as she made her way awkwardly over and sat down as Pai mirror her actions at the opposite end of the bench. She wondered if it was wise to be settling down nonchalantly for a private chat with an alien, especially since she had never actually interacted with him outside of pleading that he not destroy her home planet.

She glanced at him as he collected his thoughts, noting the subtle changes in appearance the past two years had wrought unto his countenance. His features were stronger and more defined, the lines of his face more mature. His blue hair was slightly longer, falling just the slightest bit into his dark eyes and framing his pale face beautifully. She could have sworn he'd grown a few inches taller, and she noted the shape of his muscles defined clearly beneath the fabric of his shirt.

She looked down as he caught her looking at him, folding her hands tightly in her lap. "So why are you here, Pai-san? I know Akasaka-san and Shirogane-san have been communicating with you and the others." Her voice was quieter than she'd have liked; she didn't want to seem timid now of all times.

"That is correct. My people have been in contact with your leaders since we left; our government has had many questions for them about the Mew Aqua." The sunlight filtering through the cherry blossoms made his skin look rosy.

"Is your planet doing well, Pai-san? How have you been?" Despite her reservations, Lettuce found herself becoming curious. It had been a while since she'd thought of the aliens, and the fact that she'd been slowly forgetting all the good things they'd done for her and the other Mews made her very sad. She recalled suddenly how Pai had saved them all from a chimera attack the day of the final battle; the attack that had killed him. Lettuce found, to her surprise, that her eyes were pricking at the memory of his battered form lying lifeless on the ground and pretended to examine the cherry blossoms on a low-hanging branch beside her while she blinked rapidly.

"There have been many difficulties; some of our people became angry when we told them of Deep Blue's death." Lettuce met Pai's eyes at this; the weariness of a man much older than he was evident in them. But there was a small sort of brightness there too, one that gave her hope that he might have become less brooding and calculating in the years she had not seen him. "But most of the nonbelievers were pacified when we showed them the wonders the Mew Aqua could perform," he continued, a slight smile tugging at his lips. _That's new,_ Lettuce thought to herself in wonderment; this was the first time she had seen Pai smile since she'd met him. The expression suited him, and the effect was rather breathtaking.

"We've been very busy," Pai continued. "The elders put Kisshu and me in charge of directing the 'renovations' to our planet. Most of the restorations have become self-sufficient, however, and no longer require outside assistance to generate improvements to the environment. Consequently, I've had some free time. And so to answer your first question, I came here to see you, Retasu." Lettuce looked up at him in questioning surprise, and he met her eyes with a quiet determination.

"I don't understand, Pai-san." Lettuce tried not to stammer as she voiced her confusion. "Why would you want to see me?"

Pai leaned over suddenly and brushed Lettuce's hair away from her face even as she pulled back in surprise. "I've been meaning to do that for a while." He said as he leaned back, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "You were right, Retasu. About everything. The way you were so timid but told me so boldly time and again that what I was doing was wrong amazed me to no end." Lettuce stared at him, captivated. He paused, searching for his next words, suddenly seeming very self-conscious. The notion that it was even possible for Pai to be self-conscious was baffling to Lettuce, and she looked on with a mixture of awe and fear.

"I've been hiding from this like a coward for two years," he continued, "trying to find the courage to come back to talk to you. I came here, Retasu, to do something I've been thinking about doing constantly since I returned to my home planet."

Lettuce found herself ensnared by his eyes, awkwardness forgotten as her heart pounded in her ears. She leaned unconsciously closer to him in tentative anticipation of his next words, dying to know what he was trying to say; she could see his resolve wavering, even as he opened his mouth to speak again. "Retasu," he continued, determination suddenly lighting his features. "Would you like to go on a date?"

* * *

**A/N: Helloooo everybody. :3 **

**So, how is it so far? As usual, I can't really tell whether I've kept everyone in character or not, so feedback on that is appreciated. And Pai's very last line was worded awkwardly, I thought... It is very late for me to still be up, and I'm kind of sick, (*sneeze*) so please excuse any spelling mistakes and/or sentences that don't make sense. **

**In explanation: True and I were talking last week via PM; she wondered if, in light of the fact that it was her birthday, she could emotionally blackmail me into writing some PaixLettuce fluff for her. x3 I said, 'Well sure! :D' And low, this fic was born. Keep in mind that the general idea for the plot is hers. Happy Birthday True-chan~. ^^**

**~Gypsy**


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